Remember quarantine? The days when you had to hunker down and close yourself off from society and hope for the best? That’s the basic premise behindJudd Apatow’s latest comedyThe Bubble, which he directed and co-wrote withPam Brady. In what’s likely his most-meta comedy yet,The Bubblefollows the chaotic behind-the-scenes shenanigans of the fictional castand crew during the filming of"Cliff Beasts 6: The Battle for Everest: Memories of the Requiem," the next installment in the highly successful (and completely made up) action franchise. Once word gets out about a mysterious influenza, the cast and crew are forced to stay in a “bubble” and not leave the intimate England film set until they wrap shooting and decide it’s safe enough to venture outside its invisible walls. As one might predict, this task is a hard one for them to swallow, and the varying egos and personalities are inevitably going to collide. What will they die of first: influenza or annoyance?
Legend has it thatThe Bubbleis actually based on the real-lifefilming ofJurassic World: Dominion, which was greatly affected by COVID-19. Upon hearing about the rollercoaster ride of filming the dinosaur movie, which involved implementing new safety protocols and balancing an ever-changing schedule, Apatow realized that concept might be ripe for a fun movie. (Hence the playful poke at CGI dinosaurs in this film.)The Bubblehas an eclectic lineup of comedy stars, including Apatow’s wifeLeslie Mannand daughterIris Apatow, as well asX-FilesstarDavid Duchovnyand Mando himself,Pedro Pascal. And, if you want to know more about the fake franchise, then you’re in luck! In a creative marketing ploy,Netflix releasedeverything you need to know before going into movie number six.
Watch out for dinosaurs! It’s time to get to know who plays who in this jam-packed ensemble comedy.
RELATED:‘The Bubble’: Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Everything You Need to Know
Dustin Mulray (David Duchovny)
Actor, writer, and director David Duchovny plays Dustin Mulray, the lead actor in the “Cliff Beasts” franchise who plays the character Dr. Hal Packard in the movies. He’s also the sometimes-love interest of Lauren Van Chance (Leslie Mann), another actress in the movies. From what we’ve seen of him in the trailer, Dustin seems to be the more mellow and level-headed one of the bunch. (Aside from the snorting cocaine off of co-star Sean Knox’s head.)
Duchovny is most known for his long-running starring role of Fox Mulder on the sci-fi drama seriesX-FilesalongsideGillian Anderson’s Dana Scully. He also played the lead role of Hank Moody inCalifornicationand starred in the short-lived seriesAquarius. Despite being known for more serious roles, he’s shown his comedic side in plenty of projects, includingZoolander,The Larry Sanders Show, and the recent Netflix seriesThe ChairwithSandra Oh. He’s currently filming the comedyThe EstatewithAnna Faris,Ron Livingston, andToni Collette, and wrapped the romance comedyYou PeoplewithEddie Murphy,Jonah Hill, andJulia Louis-Dreyfus. He’s also a musician and author of several books, including the recentTruly Like Lightning: A Novel.
Carol Cobb (Karen Gillan)
ActressKaren Gillanplays Carol Cobb, an actress that plays the character Dr. Lacey Nightingale in the “Cliff Beasts” movies. She’s understandably flabbergasted at the mayhem and unprofessional behavior swirling around her on set. There are dinosaurs to run from and health concerns to be had, people!
Gillan is no stranger to epic action films. She plays Nebula, the adoptive daughter of Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she’s appeared in several movies includingGuardians of the Galaxyas an antagonist and with a reformed identity inAvengers: Infinity WarandEndgame. She’s set to reprise her role in the highly-anticipatedThor: Love and ThunderandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. She’s also known for playing Amy Pond in the British sci-fi seriesDoctor Who, and appearing in theJumanjifranchise withJack Black,Dwayne Johnson, andKevin Hart.
Sean Knox (Keegan-Michael Key)
Comedian, actor, and writerKeegan-Michael Keyplays actor Sean Knox, who specializes in stunts and all things action. In “Cliff Beasts 6,” he plays a character named Colt Rockwell, one of the main characters of the dino-extravaganza.
Key is most known for his popular Comedy Central sketch showKey and Peelewhich he wrote and starred in withJordan Peele, as well as the recent AppleTV+ seriesSchmigadoon!withCecily Strong. He’s also appeared in several shows, such asFargo,Parks and Recreation,Playing House, andFriends from College,and films such asPitch Perfect 2,Don’t Think TwiceandThe Prom. Key’s also lent his voice to several animated projects, includingBoJack Horseman,Archer,Bob’s Burgers, andGreen Eggs and Ham. He’s set to star alongsideKen Jeong,Mike Myers, andJeremy Ironsin the mini-seriesThe Pentaverate, and lend his voice as Toad in the upcoming Super Mario movie.
Lauren Van Chance (Leslie Mann)
The always-hilarious Leslie Mann plays actress Lauren Van Chance, who stars in the “Cliff Beasts"franchise as fan-favorite character Dolly, who’s romantically involved with Dustin. Not much else is known about her character, though based on the trailer we know she sports a killer southern accent.
Mann has starred in a number of Judd Apatow projects, includingThe 40-Year-Old Virgin,Knocked Up,Funny People, andThis Is 40. She also is known for her lead roles inThe Other Woman,How to Be Single,Blockers, andThe Comedian. She recently acted inCooper Raiff’s Sundance Film Festival hitCha Cha Real Smooth, and can be seen in the upcoming drama seriesThe Power.
Krystal Kris (Iris Apatow)
Actress Iris Apatow embodies the stereotypical Gen Z attention-seeker as Krystal Kris, a TikTok star and social media influencer who plays Vivian Joy, a new character in the “Cliff Beasts"franchise. Krystal documents her every move for her fans and doesn’t seem to understand the fact that there’s a very dangerous influenza outbreak. Her mother is played by stand-up comedianMaria Bamford. Iris is a novice compared to the rest of this experienced cast, but she’s been showing off her effortless comedic timing and charm from a very young age. She acted alongside her older sisterMaude Apatow(who’s known for her work in the HBO mega-hitEuphoria) inThis Is 40, where she stole scenes as the impish, witty sister Charlotte. She later starred in the Netflix seriesLovewithGillian JacobsandPaul Rust.
Darren Eigan (Fred Armisen)
A crazy franchise must have a crazy director.Fred Armisenplays Darren Eigan, the new director at the helm of “Cliff Beasts 6.” Darren seems very methodical, as the trailer features him acting and sounding like a dinosaur to prepare for the project. He works closely (in a face shield, of course) withPeter Serafinowicz’s character, who spends every minute corralling the disruptive cast and making sure they obey all the safety protocols.
Comedian, writer and musician Fred Armisen had an unforgettable run onSaturday Night Livefrom 2002 to 2013. He andCarrie Brownsteincreated and starred in the hit sketch seriesPortlandia, which ran for 8 seasons on IFC. Armisen has had recurring parts in several shows, includingLos Espookys,Documentary Now!,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,Schmigadoon!, andBrooklyn Nine-Nine. In addition to being the bandleader ofLate Night with Seth Meyers’ 8G Band, Armisen can be seen in the breakout HBO Max hitOur Flag Means Deathand heard in multiple roles in the Netflix seriesBig Mouth.
Dieter Bravo (Pedro Pascal)
Pedro Pascal plays veteran actor Dieter Bravo, who’s new to the franchise and mostly known for being a more serious actor. How will his serious, reputable persona vibe with the “Cliff Beasts"bunch? Pascal is one busy man! He plays the titular role inThe Mandalorianand is one of the leads inNicolas Cage’s upcoming ambitious action-comedyThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. He has appeared in numerous projects, including as villain Maxwell Lord inWonder Woman 1984, as well asNarcos,Triple Frontier,The Good Wife, andThe Mentalist. He’s currently filming the action drama seriesThe Last of Us, an adaptation of the video game of the same name.
Paula (Kate McKinnon)
Don’t mess with Paula!Kate McKinnonplays studio executive Paula, who’s oblivious to the struggles on set and demands filming updates as much as possible. The smoother the process, the quicker the movie, the faster people can get their money! Comedian and actress Kate McKinnon has been a cast member ofSaturday Night Livesince 2012. She’s appeared in a number of movies, includingBombshell,Office Christmas Party, andThe Spy Who Dumped Me. She also stars asCarole Baskinin the new Peacock seriesJoe vs. Caroleand is filmingGreta Gerwig’sBarbiewithMargot Robbie,Ryan Gosling, andSimu Liu.
Anika (Maria Bakalova)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilmbreakout starMaria Bakalovaplays Anika, an excited and naive hotel employee who cannot believe the stars she’s only seen on movie posters are now right in front of her. Time will tell whether or not this excitement will turn into irritation. In addition to her Oscar-nominated performance in theBoratsequel, Bakalov is known for her work inWomen Do Crywhich competed at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, and the recent horror-comedyBodies, Bodies, Bodies. She’s set to star in the upcoming comedyThe Honeymoon.
